Class Notes

clarke ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 7

MAY 24, 2017 THROUGH NOVEMBER 8, 2017

clarke UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | FALL/WINTER 2017

Every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information; however, if you notice any discrepancies, please notify the Institutional Advancement Office at (888)225-2753.

S E T O N & S W E N i n m u al NEWS Ruth (Dunbar) McLeay '53 Omaha, NE Ruth and her husband celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary on June 1. They have eight children: John II - Engineer, and twin Bartholomew - Attorney, Dr. Matthew - Pulmonologist, Dr. Peter-Cardiologist, Paul - Stockbroker, and Tom - Attorney in Real Estate promotion providing improving home development for the poor. All of them live in Omaha. They also have two daughters, Molly -Architect (Dallas, TX) and Maureen Nursing graduate (Overland Park, KU). They have 30 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. "My husband and I are promoting increased devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and praying the Rosary every day for peace in the world under the blessing of Archbishop Lucas of Omaha. This effort is in keeping with the 100th anniversary of Fatima when our Lady requested the Rosary to be prayed every day for peace and the end of World War I. If you happen to read my greeting and want to reply, please reach out to Jodi Hooks in the Alumni Relations Office at 563-588-6553 and she will help us get in touch. Love and prayers always to all Clarke students and faculty past and present!"

Mary Jo (Rossi) Furgal '61 Arlington, VA In July three members of the Class of 1961 met in Washington, D.C., for lunch at Kramer's bookstore.

Mary Jo (Rossi) Furgal from Arlington, VA, Donna (Shpikula) Wayner from Latham, NY, and Barbara (Bilek) Kent from Menlo Park, CA. Fran (Plotke) Pettersen ’66 (left) with Mary Burritt '66 (right) enjoyed a Rhine River cruise earlier this year.

Shirley (Maloney) Mueller '64 Indianapolis, IN Shirley is guest curator of an exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art entitled, "Elegance from the East: New Insights from Old Porcelain."

In it, she explores the popularity and variety of Chinese porcelain objects made for export to Western consumers in the 17th and 18th century.

The exhibit ran through October 22, 2017.

Joann (Vonderhaar) Erkkila '69 Norway, MI Joann was married almost 46 years to Lee (Skip) Erkkila. He passed away on March 22, 2016. They have two sons, Jason (Chris) and Ryan (Stacy) and three grandchildren Carlee, Brian, and Ava.

Mary Bilunas '74 Saint Cloud, FL Mary retired after 42 years of teaching choral music. She and her husband sold their New Hampshire home and joined his cousins in Saint Cloud, FL. They now spend much of the year in Florida and spend the summer and early autumn on a lake at their home in Sebec, Maine. Mary made a connection in Saint Cloud with the local high school choral director and has enjoyed going back into the classroom to work with choirs. Family members visit often to take advantage of the proximity to many theme parks.

Jill (Hickey) Hickey Topf '82 Orland Park, IL Jill has enjoyed a variety of careers including Freeland Public Relations Writer, Assistant Director of Religious Education, and Marketing Coordinator for a global restaurant chain. Currently she works as a Freeland Editor and as a Marketing Community Manager for a global charity with chapters in 64 countries around the world. As a volunteer, she helped produce two Tedx events for women in Oak Park, IL, in 2015 and 2016; and for over twenty years, she has been spending time with children of all ages and abilities as a catechist, Special Religious Ed Friend, and Junior Achievement Teacher.

Ann (Havel) Ironside '82 Oak Forest, IL Ann took early retirement in 2016 from teaching.

She still enjoys being a substitute teacher, and is also a consultant for Clinique cosmetics, which allows her and her husband more flexibility to see their children in Austin, TX, and Los Angeles, CA. Daniel Donovan '85 Dubuque, IA Dan is a branch manager and financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors, and was recognized as a member of the firm's Premier Advisor Program. The designation is measured by business production, completion of educational components, and professionalism. Dan has been a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors for 30 years.

M - Master’s Degree from Clarke D - Doctorate Degree from Clarke

Mark Schechinger '87 Harlan, IA Mark published the newest installment of his book series under the pen name Mark Matthiessen. All books are available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Kindle and some area bookstores including Des Moines' Book Worm. Mark plans to be in Paris in December for signings and in Denver at Tattered Cover bookstores within the year.

Theresa Geraci '88 Rockford, IL Theresa received a Nursing Excellence Award in the category of Nursing Empowerment from the OSF Healthcare System at the "I am an OSF Nurse" Symposium on July 26, 2017. Theresa has been a nurse in the department of surgery at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, IL, for the last 28 years. She was a team member and team lead on the Cardiovascular & Open Heart team for 18 years. Her current position is on the Surgical Orthopedic team specializing in orthopedic trauma.

Marty Roddy '89 Minneapolis, MN Marty served as a confirmation sponsor for the children of Marty and Michelle (Miesen) Felix '88: Olivia and Nicholas Felix, at a service in Milwaukee, WI.

Lisa (Blouin) Sanborn, D.V.M. '91 Castle Rock, CO Lisa was promoted to Medical Director at VCA Douglas County Animal Hospital this year.

Renee (Schriner) LoDolce '93 Richmond, TX Renee's third book, "Our Deliverer Revealed: Finding Jesus Throughout the Old Testament" was released this past June. Her son, Truitt, graduated early this year at age 17 with his accredited bachelor's degree by following the methods in her first book called "College Out of the Box." All of Renee's books can be found on Amazon as well as other book sites.

Leslie Dague '96 Galena, IL Leslie is a human resources consultant/trainer for HK Payroll Services and passed the Professional in Human Resources exam. She has been with the firm since 2013.

Scott Schuessler '00, '06D Dubuque, IA

Scott opened his fifth physical therapy clinic in September 2017.

Johanna Talarico '01 Pacific, MO Johanna was hired by Heartland Financial as a graphic designer.

Jessica (Bellmann) Ehrlich '02 Dubuque, IA Jessica was named Young Professional of the Year at the Young Professionals of Dubuque Annual Awards Luncheon.

Jay Harris '03 Sherrill, IA Jay was appointed as a partner at Honkamp Krueger & Co. He joined the company in 2005 as a staff accountant and was promoted to accounting manager in 2009.

Julie (Rusniak) Jacques '03 Lake Zurich, IL Julie and her family moved to Lake Zurich a year and a half ago. She is still working as a high school Social Worker in Lake Zurich.

Nicole (Merritt) Chari '04 Brooklyn, NY Nicole spoke on the "Accessing Resources and Navigating Cultural Identity in NYC" panel for the Immigrant Mentoring Program for Performing and Literary Artists at New York Foundation for the Arts.

Michael Frain '04 Simi Valley, CA Michael was hired by ESPN as an IOS Engineer, after a successful three and a half year stint at Hudl in the same position. Additionally, he entered his 3rd year as crew chief and football referee in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA Division III) and received an assignment in the Pioneer Football League (NCAA Division I FCS) for the second consecutive year.

Renee (Soppe) Hesselman '05 Dubuque, IA Renee was appointed as a partner at Honkamp Krueger & Co. She joined the company in 2003 as an accounting intern and accepted a position as staff accountant following graduation. In 2009, she was promoted to accounting manager.

Melissa (Riesberg) Sturm '05 Bellevue, IA Melissa has been named the high school Iowa VFW Teacher of the Year by representatives of VFW Post #3633 and the VFW Auxiliary from Maquoketa.

Melissa teaches math at Marquette Catholic Schools in Bellevue, IA. Annie (Mormann) Koelker '07 Dubuque, IA Annie was promoted to senior designer at McCullough Creative. She joined McCullough Creative in 2011.

Ted Boffeli '08M Epworth, IA Ted was promoted by the Hodge Company to executive vice president, integrated business services.

Mike Rayburn '08 Rockford, IL Mike has a new position with the Federal Aviation Administration as an Air Traffic Control Specialist.

Rebecca Harman '09 Lincoln, NE Rebecca graduated with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice and became an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She moved to Nebraska from Iowa City and now works as a Nurse Practitioner in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha.

Molly (Gau) Davis '11, '12M Dubuque, IA Molly Gau married Thomas Davis on October 15, 2013, and their first son was born on December 30, 2014.

Susan Houselog '11M Dubuque, IA Susan was hired by Medical Associates for the Hospitalist Department. She is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner and received her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Brad Schweikert '11 Dubuque, IA Brad was hired by Dupaco Community Credit Union as a senior digital experience architect at the Saratoga Road location in Asbury, IA. Abby Scherrman '12 Dubuque, IA Abby was promoted to manager of the Pennsylvania Avenue branch of Dupaco Community Credit Union in Dubuque. She formly was a lending consultant at the Hillcrest location.

Courtney (Traser) Lloyd '13 Fort Wayne, IN Courtney graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in May, 2017, with a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology. She is now working as an Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, IN. Karena (Saari) Sauser '13, '16D Dubuque, IA Karena was hired by Medical Associates as a Nurse Practitioner for the Cardiology Department.

Britt Gosse '14, '16D Independence, IA Britt was hired by Medical Associates Clinic in the Physical Therapy Department. She will evaluate conditions, and design and implement an individualized treatment program for her patients.

Hilary Van Praag '14 Marion, IA Hilary was hired by Tri-State Apparel as manager and graphic designer. She previously worked as a sales assistant for McGraw-Hill Education in Dubuque.

Tammi (Young) Noonan '15D Cascade, IA Tammi was hired by Medical Associates in the Oncology Department. She is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner.

Wendy (Walker) Scardino '15M Asbury, IA Wendy was hired at The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium as the Marketing and Communications Director.

Leroy Soppe '15 Farley, IA Leroy was promoted to senior production manager at Bodine Electric Company.

Adam Merkes '16M Dubuque, IA Adam transferred positions with his employer to become a Loan Systems Administrator. Along with the career change, he and his wife had their first child in October.

Cassie Bennett '17 Frankfort, IL Cassie was hired and started training as a Behavioral Therapist at Total Spectrum. She is currently working on becoming a registered therapist.

Allison Pasker '17D Onslow, IA Allison Pasker will marry Kolby Harms '15 on August 4, 2018.

ADVANCED DEGREES Kathy Warren '88 Sun Prairie, WI Kathy completed a Master's Degree in Biotechnology from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2017.

Tasha (Redmond) Tatara '14 to Dan Tatara '16 Cedar Rapids, IA Emily (Jutting) Cave '15, '16M to Paul Cave '15 Hartford, IA

Holly (Kueter) McPherson '06 and Matt, girl Bellevue, IA Lauren (Erbach) Barnfield '07 and Mark, Alice Dorothy Chicago, IL

Amber (Prosser) Ellis '06 Yukon, OK Amber obtained her Master's Degreen in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner from Concordia University in May 2017.

Amanda Herbst '06 North Liberty, IA Amanda obtained her Master's Degree in Nursing this year.

Kari (Sieverding) Ernst '06, '12M and Curt '05, girl Bellevue, IA

Kelsy (Noble) Gallentine '07 and Brandon, Landon Leroy Bettendorf, IA Katie (Jacobson) Gudenkauf '15 to Wesley Gudenkauf '15 Hazel Green, WI Eric Meyer '15 to Clara Berning Hazel Green, WI

MARRIAGES Casey (Breitbach) Smith '10 to Justin Smith Dubuque, IA Aurora (Buschkamp) Hemann '13 to Matthew Hemann Dubuque, IA Allison (Simpson) Hockenberry '16 to Nicolas Hockenberry Bellevue, IA Paige (Tomson) Lenz '16 to Chris Lenz North Liberty, IA

BIRTHS Rachel (Fischer) Higgins '13, '16D to Drew Higgins '13, '15D Cascade, IA Courtney (Traser) Lloyd '13 to Nicholas Lloyd Fort Wayne, IN Erin (Brashaw) Brenner '14 to Colton Brenner Hazel Green, WI

Courtney (Casel) Veach '03 and Joey, boy Maquoketa, IA Julie (Wagner) Voss '04 and Jeff, Laura Nicole Dubuque, IA Kelly (Welch) Breitbach '05 and Zach '05, Leah Antioch, IL

Kate (McTague) Biekert '08M and Clint '08M, Jaclyn Marie Dubuque, IA Gayle (McAllister) Langel '08 and Jeremy, Anna Elizabeth Holy Cross, IA

Abby (Schultz) McInerney '08 and Patrick, Nora Kathleen Aurora, CO Grant Henn '09M and Amy, girl Dubuque, IA Katie (Michael) Boatman '10 and Shyler, Griffith James Sioux City, IA Ryan Burras '10, '12D and Lizzie, Eleanor Lorraine Decorah, IA

Dan Spain '10 and Jessica, Beau Daniel Delmar, IA Amy (Steffensmeier) Hansen '11 and Samuel, Connor Thomas Eldridge, IA

Bea Hernandez '16 and Derick Smith, Ava Marie Berwyn, IL

Marilyn (Mitchell) Schroeder '60 Oconomowoc, WI

Stacy (Kaiser) Pickel '16 and Tom, boy Kieler, WI

Nancy (Noland) Brennan '62 Glen Ellyn, IL

IN MEMORY

Anne (Brown) Donnersberger '62 Winnetka, IL

Kathleen Daly '40 Dyersville, IA

Patricia Perko, BVM '68M Dubuque, IA

Genevieve (Dwyer) Di Lucca '45 Boise, ID

Bonnie Maiers '69 Des Moines, IA

Jannette (Renier) McQuillan '46 Santa Barbara, CA

Kathleen O'Malley '72M Houston, TX

Mary Jane (Spencer) Miller '46 Highlands Ranch, CO

Mary Rogers '88 Dubuque, IA

Mary Cotter '48 Hubbard, OH

Kathleen Timp '99 Dubuque, IA

Rose Marie (Peschang) Chun '49 Dubuque, IA

Carl Ness '00 North Liberty, IA

Geri (Feeney) Wareham '49 Golden, CO Mary Margaret (Feeney) Boland '50 Ivesdale, IL Pepper (Perkins) Ryan '51 Evanston, IL Mary Ellen Caldwell, BVM '54 Dubuque, IA

Sarah (Simon) Milner '11 and Jim, Lincoln Frederick Dubuque, IA Andy Winders '11 and Monica, boy Dubuque, IA Laura (Zelinskas) Beckman '13 and CJ, boy Dubuque, IA Karen (Bente) Taylor '14 and Chris, boy Dubuque, IA

Jeanice (Fox) Janes '57 Richardson, TX Mary Ann (McGovern) Roth '57 Naperville, IL Helen Garvey, BVM '58 Dubuque, IA Bette (Donahue) Camarigg '59 Chicago, IL

YOUR LIFE IS FULL OF AMAZING HAPPENINGS – AND WE LOVE TO SHARE IN YOUR JOY! Share your updates with us! alumnirelations@clarke.edu or online at clarke.edu/alumni.

(Don’t forget to send pictures!)